Owning a Car

QUESTION

Spoke to you on Sunday on Tim Webster's afternoon show on Radio 2UE. What I am looking for is the owner's Manual for a Hyundai Getz 2007 1.6 TB upgrade.

Hyundai quoted me $65. Is this fair? And what is your opinion of this vehicle.

Thanks,

Syd

ANSWER

Hi Syd,

I remember. Thanks for calling in. As I understand it, you wanted to make sure you had the code in case the battery was ever disconnected and the radio went into security shutdown mode.

The new manual will not have the applicable security code, because this varies from vehicle to vehicle. Your code is forever linked to the 17-digit VIN code for your vehicle. This is a unique identifier for your Getz, which separates it from every other Getz. Any Hyundai dealer can retrieve the code for the radio if you supply the VIN. (The VIN is on the rego papers and also on a plate under the bonnet.)

VIN code is a unique 17-digit alpha-numeric identifier for each vehicle

You can prevent the radio from thinking it's been stolen by getting cheap 12V battery and connecting it to the vehicle's power system while the main battery is being replaced. The two standard ways to do this are to use a cigarette lighter plug and insert it into the cigarette ligher aperture, or simply to use some light temporary leads and connect one to the main positive lead coming off the battery and the other to the vehicle's body (negative/ground). Make sure you get the polarity right in either case, and power everything down in the car otherwise the demand on the small battery will be too great once the main battery is disconnected. If you don't understand how to do this, do not attempt it yourself because it is potentially risky. In this case get a battery replacer to do it for you, professionally.

I think $65 is outrageous for a replacement manual. You can get an aftermarket software copy of the entire workshop service manual on eBay for about $8.

The Getz is a cheap, cheerful little car that's a no-frills runabout. It costs very little and runs on the smell of an oily rag. Its sales were prolific, which means there's a plentiful supply of parts out there, new and used, and everyone knows how to work on them. Affordable and basic, but part of the DNA that has made Hyundai an international success story.

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